Looking back: The Queen’s coronation and Huddersfield won the Challenge Cup

In the early part of 1953, Britain remained in the grip of post-war greyness. An elderly Winston Churchill was still Prime Minister and rationing remained for staple foodstuffs such as sugar, eggs and sausages.

But Huddersfield hit the heights in April of that year when they won the famous Challenge Cup for a sixth time in seven final appearances and now they have the chance to make it victory number seven.

Here the PA news agency looks at what else was happening in 1953.

Huddersfield, a team of all talents

Huddersfield was the birthplace of rugby league and for years its team was a powerhouse of the game.

In Harold Wagstaff and Albert Rosenfeld, the Fartowners boasted two genuine superstars in the early part of the 20th century and in 1913-14 they became one of only two teams to win all four cups.

The names of Hunter, Cooper and Devery rolled off the tongue in a Team of All Talents and in 1953 they lifted the Challenge Cup with a 15-10 victory over St Helens in front of a crowd of 89,588 at Wembley.

Stand-off Peter Ramsden was the hero, scoring two tries and becoming the youngest player to win the Lance Todd Trophy as man of the match on his 19th birthday.

When Ken Rosewall and Rocky Marciano ruled the world

It was the era of Doris Day, Ava Gardner, Rita Hayworth, Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor and Lana Turner.

In the sporting world, Maureen Connolly won Wimbledon, Ken Rosewall lifted the Australian and French Open titles and Ben Hogan was victorious in the Open, the Masters and the US Open.

England regained the Ashes, Britain’s Jim Peters set a world marathon record of 2hrs 18mins 34.8secs in Finland and Rocky Marciano knocked out former champion Jersey Joe Walcott to successfully defend